Daftmill Scotch Whiskey – Local Whiskey Launched.

Last Friday 18th May 2018, saw the official launch of the inaugural Daftmill scotch whisky. This is a day many, many scotch whiskey fans have been waiting for, including us. With an invitation to attend this launch event at the distillery we sent a couple of the TWB Team along to enjoy. Not an arduous trip for us, as Daftmill Distillery is located 5 minutes from TWB HQ. For us, this is local scotch in the truest sense. Sun shining. Farm Distillery. Brand new whisky being launched. Perfect.

Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Whiskey

We’ve visited Daftmill Distillery before. It was during the quiet season in winter and since then we have been truly endeared to this small, craft, farm distillery. Small scale perhaps but with infinite passion. And, stunningly good scotch to boot. That was 2 years ago. Today sees the launch of the first ever Daftmill Distillery scotch whiskey – a 12 year old 2005 vintage bottled 2018 at 55.8%. Matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels this is the first taste of out and out Daftmill scotch. The bottle is simple and clean in its design. We like that – it does exactly what it needs to do. And it is very much a reflection of the ethos of this distillery. Clean and tidy but containing a hard working and established product.

A Farm Whiskey Launch – Very Fife

Nestled in a quiet spot of North East Fife, Daftmill Distillery is located within farmland. No over the top marketing here. This was about the scotch, the distillery and the people who have made it – Francis and Ian Cuthbert. The event was soaked in lovely Fife sunshine for a gathering of whiskey connoisseurs, press, retailers and even a famous face. All were here to celebrate the launch of a much awaited gem of a whiskey.

A tour of the utterly charming farm distillery was led by Francis looking very sharp in his kilt. (To find out more about the distillery’s workings, check out our earlier blog pieces). Then there was plenty time to mingle within the distillery buildings, warehouse and beautiful gardens hiding round the back. Canapes and bubbly. A bit of refined luxury among Fife’s rolling hills and farmland.  This is the perfect balance of a small farm distillery working with the established and world renowned Berry Bros and Rudd, setting the tone just right.

Tasting Notes: Daftmill 2005 Inaugural Release

Now, we tasted some casks a couple of years ago, sherry and bourbon, and we thought they we re fantastic. So we had high hopes for this bottled release. And, it lives up to expectations. Three bourbon barrels have been brought together presenting a lovely, and highly appropriate, straw color. We were delighted to have a sample to return to TWB HQ for a proper nosing and taste.

The nose is grounded, quite literally, by a lovely base of oats and barley but lifted by a mellow honey and a wee hit of lemon zest. A cordial of fresh wild herbs and fruit. Take a walk on a rural Fife country path and you pick up some of this.

Onto the palate and the fruitiness picks up. More lemons and hints of elderflower. More fresh herbs but it remains well-grounded by the malt and cereal notes.  This is certainly a lowland scotch with an elegance, but it has a definite robustness to match.

It concludes on the long finish with a pleasant bitter element and a touch oily.  The fruits dissipate a little as it comes back round to the slightly bitter cereal and malty notes. It seems like this could easily have been a (wrongly) stereotypical light and floral lowland malt. But Daftmill have done very well to bring in some depth with a harder edge. This Inaugural Daftmill 2005 is a vatting of 3 casks, so it should not to be taken as definitive Daftmill character. But it gives a firm nod to the style being produced.

Also, we tasted some Daftmill sherry casks too. Pretty epically good too! Watch this space…..

Daftmill Distillery Scotch – Available to Buy Soon

Some whiskies ‘sing’ about their environment where they have been produced. This Daftmill 2005 Innagural release is just that. From the straw color to the notes of barley, malt and fruits that can be seen growing around us in Fife. There is no doubt the best place to drink Daftmill is in-situ, at the distillery. But for those lucky enough, it gives you a chance to taste a highly agreeable, new lowland scotch whiskey.

The purpose of this launch at Daftmill Distillery was to simply announce this whiskey on the scotch map. Along with a ballot for 250 bottles being run by Berry Bros & Rudd, a further 250 have been released to retailers. However, as you are reading this, with just 629 bottles you are unlikely to get your hands on a bottle. (lucky you if you did!) But the ‘core’ range will start to appear seasonally thereafter with the first release due, hopefully, late June. There is a much bigger outrun anticipated, so you should have a better chance.  Also, they plan to release four single cask Daftmill whiskies annually.

Fife Scotch Here to Stay

So, this was unlike most new distillery launches. Here we have tangible aged whiskey ready to enjoy now and a ‘core’ range of well-aged whiskey following soon after. The Daftmill character established. Daftmill scotch whiskey to run among its single malt contemporaries. We are thrilled to see our most local Distillery now fully revealed to the world and no doubt you whisky fans are too.

And a huge thank you to Daftmill and Berry Bros for inviting us and sharing this milestone with us. The future, or indeed the present,  is very bright for Fife and Daftmill scotch whiskey.